Lesson
The Supreme Court and the Bill of Rights
Guiding question
How has the Supreme Court decided cases in controversies related to the Bill of Rights?
Objective:
- Students will examine how the Supreme Court has decided landmark cases related to the Bill of Rights.
Materials
Lesson Components
Lesson plan
More Information
Facilitation Notes: Background Essay has more complex language and might be challenging for English language learners. For more advanced ELLs, it could be used as an extension activity. All students will need their completed Breaking Down the Bill of Rights Organizer from Lesson 8: The Creation of the Bill of Rights to use as a reference in this activity. Students will also consult Appendix A: Founding Principles and Civic Virtues Organizer and Appendix B: Being an American Unit Graphic Organizer from the first lesson in this curriculum.
Standards
Related materials
Read summaries of the majority ruling in landmark Supreme Court cases that have had an impact on our rights as citizens.
It’s uncommon to look at the front page of any newspaper and not see an article about impending Supreme Court nominations and debates. But was this always the case? Were proceedings of the Supreme Court as publicized throughout American history as they are now? In this week’s episode of Fabric of History, Mary, Kirk, and Haley explore what the Constitution actually says about the Supreme Court and how history has interpreted and evolved its role ever since.
How can you help your students develop critical thinking skills? Explore Landmark Supreme Court cases that changed history. Give your students tools to evaluate the Court's rulings and their impact on American society. Analyze primary sources spanning five centuries--colonial codes of law, the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, contemporary photographs, case law, oral arguments, the Court's majority and dissenting opinions, and others. Each Document Based Question (DBQ) will lead them towards an understanding of the role played by the Court and an assessment of its decisions. Each DBQ also contains a section called "The Issue Endures," which highlights current applications of the case issue.